Tire.



AUNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'ROBERT A, GEHAN, OF'BUFFALO, New YORK.

l TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patentes sept.`24,'1907.

Application filed December 18,1905. Serial'Nol 292146.

e useful Improvement in Tires, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements ih cushion tires for use upon thewheels of bicycles,`automobiles and similar vehicles, and relatesparticularly to that class of cushion or elastic tires in which thetire-is hollow or in the form of a'tube and'internal metallic springsare employed to hold the tube from collapsing .and to give the requiredelasticity to the tire.

The principal object of this invention is t'o produce an elastic tirewhich will possess the advantages in thel size and shape of the tread,resiliency and elasticity of the pneumatic ltire and at the same time befree from its well known defects. Thisis done without the employment ofinternal air pressure by providing a practically continuous internalcoiled spring support for the hollow tire or shoe which will readilyyield to all irregularities in the surface of the road and cushion thejar on the wheels. Y

Other objects oi this invention are to provide an adjustable clampingmeans for securing the spring support and its inclosing tube or shoe tothe rim of the wheel in such a manner that all circumferential orcreeping movement of the tire is prevented, and that the different partsthereof can be readily tightened or released as occasion may require,and to provide means l for preventing the coiled tire Yspring from beingcompressed to such an extent as to become or flattened.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elcvation of a bicycleWheel equipped with a tire' embody` ing the invention, portions of thetire-being broken away to show the spring support and the felly of thewheel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation in line 22, Fig.l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side ele.- vation of a portion of the tireandits clampinggmeans. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the rimand permanently set Like letters of reference referto like parts in theseveral figures.

A represents a bicycle wheel having a hub,

spokes af of the ordinary construction.

i represents therim or felly of the wheel which consisls of ring orannular body having a flanged yor widened inner edge portion b to whichthe spokes af are secured, as hereinafter described, and a flanged orwidened outer ledge portion o. which constitutes a buffer for the tirespring. The outer faces of the spoke attaching and buffer portionsof'the folly orrim are convexed. I

C represents a coiled supporting spring which ininto internally threadedadjustable sleeves f provided closes the wheelfelly or rim. Thissupportingspring C is made of continuous spring wire coiled around thewheel felly or rim, and is of somewhat greater diameter than the radiallwidth 0f the felly B so that when its inner portion' is in positionagainst the spoke attaching 60 portion b of the folly, the outer portionof the springl will 'be at some distance from the buffer. portion b of.the felly, thus permitting freedom of movement of the outer or treadportion of thespring' until thel same has 'been forced inwardly againstthe buffer portion of the folly, after which all lfurther pressure bearsdirectly upon and is sustained by the felly. This prevents the spring Cfrom being crushed or collapsed under sudden or excessive pressure tosuch an extent as to become permanently set or fiattened and -itsresiliency destroyed or impaired. v Y

The spring() is encircled by a suitable protecting covering o'r shoe Dof rubber or soine other strong ilexible material of a character to givea durable practical tire tread, and this shoe and the spring C are heldin position on the felly B by opposing clamping rings E E. Theseclamping rings entend about the inner periphery of the tire concentricwith the ielly B, one on each side thereof, and have outer laces whichare concaved to bear evenly against the convexed surface of the shoe',and inwardly extending flanges e adapted to engage and clamp betweenthem similar-flanges d uponl the shoe D. The shoe is of an internaldiameter to closely embrace the spring C, and the convexed' surface ofthe spoke attaching portion of thefelly is of the same curva-` ture asthe interior of the spring, so that the spring and shoe can be securelyclamped between the folly and the clamping rings by. 'drawing theseparts together.' In the'wheel shown in the drawings the spokes areconnected to the felly or rim B by rods or bolts F which also' serve. todraw the felly and clamping rings together to hold the tire. These boltshave heads on their outer 'ends which engage the spoke attachingportion` of the felly and their inner ends are threaded an'd securedwithinternal shoulders against which heads o? of the spokes a/ bear. Theinner end of the sleeve f is shaped'4 `so that a wrench can be fittedthereon and the sleeve turned to tighten the spokes as desired,

. G represents clamping devices having oppositely ex- T00 "tending armsg adapted to engage the clamping rings E,

and a hollow body portiony surrounding the adiusting""""l Sleeve fandheld in position vthereon by a n ut gzwllich engages an extcrnalthreadthereon. The arms g engag" the flanges c 4ofthe clamping rings Eat'suchau 105 angle that when these arms are forced-outwardly by`tur'nirur`t11rnutg, they servel to press the 'clamping rings ll firmlyagainst the tire spring and its shoe on the inner-isideofthe fclly andat the same time draw these opposing clamping rings toward eachother sothat the 1l() A oi these parts flanges c of the clamping rings closelyclamp the flanges i Sid SWW* "11d 1G-mi for l of the shoe, thus firmlysecuring the slloe'jngainst. movement and binding :til the partssecurely together.

Suitable openings h are provided in the inner sides of vthe clznnpingrings for the passage of the connectingr t rodsF and notches or seats t'are provided on the outer side of the ,rings in which the arms tii'ftheClamping devices engage to better hold the partsin place. i

The spoke attaching sleevef and adjusting nut y2 can be separatelyopt-rated for tightening the spokes oi' the wheel and the clampingdevices so that the adjustment Although the adjusting means describedare heiicved to 4be desirable for the purpose intended, it is obviousthat other means could be employed for obtaining these adjustments.

By passing the spokes and ltheir Connecting rods through between theopposing clamping rims and hetwecn the coils of the spring to the fellyand securing the clamping deviceto the spokes, it is possible to producea. vtry firm and rigid construction and prevent- Vthe movement orcreeping of any of the parts.

Cini in as my invention:

1. In u wheel.ihe combination of u continuously coiled sprinelotsubstnntially the sume diameter throughout its length, n telly entirelysurrounded and inclosed by said spring'. spokes secured to said folly,and ineuns for clump ine' thof'coils o t sniil spring` minst the innerperiphery of s: 'd telly to hold snid sprin in lposition und preventendse movcnioil thereon, substantially ns described.

2 ln n wheel. the combination of :t continuously coiled spr ne' oi*substantially the sume dinmeter throughout its n telly entirelysurrounded und inc'losed h v said ien-t spring'. spokes secured to sztidfelly,

can be effected independently of each zt covering iuclosing clampingSuid coveringl und the roils of said sprintY nirninst the innerperipheiy of silid tell)Y to hold the snnie`in position and preventendwlse movement thereon, subsinntinliy :is described*` Il. ln u wheel,the combination of n felly, spokes secured ereto. n coiled springrentirely surrounding :1nd lnclosin.; snifl telly, opposing clampingringsexteruul to snid spring, :1nd means for forciin." said clamping ringsund folly lmvnrd each other lo hold snid spi-im;- ln positini thereon,suhslnntiniiv :is set forth.

4. ln :t wheel. the combination ol' :i felly, spokes secured thereto. acoiled spring entirely surrounding,l and lnclosing smid telly, opposingclzil'nping rings external to 'szlid spring nid suid telly nt the inn'rside thereof, :md menus evternnl to-A iid l'eily for :id i "ing: snidclamping;- rings toward said l'eliy. suhslztntizllly z set forth.

.'i. in n wheel. the combinatlon of :t fcll v, spokes secured lhereto,:i coiled spring' entirely surroundingund inclosing sziid l'eiiy`opposing' el.'ln1pin;r,rin;:s externnl to said spring l to clump snidcover ll.-in ;`es. substantially A 'i'. 'll.e comblnntion of :t coiled`tire spring, :t wlieel rim locntezl within suid spring, u coverinclosinggl suid spring, cloinpingrings for securingY :nid spring undcover to said rim, und spokes which are secured to snid rim und pusethrough said clannpinr rings, cover und set. forthA n Witness my hund,this 13th day of December, 1905.

Witnesses i EnwAnnC. 11Min, C. B. lionzvnneii.

spring to holrigld .l parts from movement relative to snid rim,substnntluiodqig'

